School Pesticide Reform Coalition

Learning Starts with a Healthy Environment

I. Mission Statement:
The School Pesticide Reform Coalition advocates for every child's and
school employee's right to an environmentally healthy school. The Coalition
works to protect children's and the general public's health by supporting
nationwide grassroots action and focusing local, state and national attention
on the reduction and, where possible, the elimination of pesticide use
at schools.

II. Guiding principles:
The following guiding principles are broad statements designed to guide
the work of the Coalition.

Right-to-know. The Coalition recognizes the hazards that pesticides pose
to children and other school users and occupants. Anytime pesticides are
used, parents, teachers and staff have a right to know through pre-notification
and sign posting at the treated areas.

Integrated Pest Management.
The Coalition urges schools to adopt Integrated Pest Management (IPM),
a program of pest prevention, monitoring and control, which eliminates
or drastically reduces pesticides used at schools. IPM allows the use
of the least toxic pesticide only as a last resort, thus minimizing the
toxicity of and exposure to any pesticide products that are used.

Least Hazardous Pest
Control Option. The Coalition promotes policies and practices that require
schools to choose the least hazardous pest management option. If a school
decides it needs to use a pesticide, it shall use the least hazardous
pesticide available. It is important to remember that all pesticides are
poisons designed to harm living organisms, and should be handled carefully
and with respect. Applicators should be state licensed or certified and
wear proper clothing, gloves a filter mask, and other protective gear
as appropriate to the material being applied.

Knowledge. Coalition
members work to ensure that school community members (staff, students,
parents, administration, taxpayers) have a working understanding of the
value and practice of IPM, which is a proven effective, economical pest
management program.

Self-sustaining Programs.
The Coalition works to empower the school community to develop self-sustaining
IPM programs. Self-sustaining means that participants understand their
roles in the IPM system, and that they will work and communicate effectively
with others to enhance the system and improve it over the long-term.

Pesticide Reform.
The primary goal of working as a coalition is to build awareness, support,
resources and pressure for national, state and local pesticide reform.

III. How the Coalition Functions:
Beyond Pesticides facilitates the Coalition in order to bring local and
national activists together to enable strategic thinking and coordination
of a multi-state effort to address school pesticide use.